Erasmus28

‘Parents are creating the next generation of bullies’, says Britain’s Missing Top Model, in response to complaints  made about disabled BBC presenter Cerrie Burnell.

After nine formal complaints were made about the children’s television presenter, including a claim that Burnell’s disability was ‘scaring’ their children, there are worries that children are being influenced by their parents’ prejudices.

Burnell, who was born missing her right hand, debuted on the Cbeebies channel in January this year and received complaints within days, yet despite this says she is not angry at the parents but pleased that this debate has surfaced.

Kelly Knox won the BBC show ‘Britain’s Missing Top Model’ last year. She said: ‘I hope these parents are proud of themselves because they are creating the next generation of bullies!’

‘Being taught prejudice like this makes children grow up thinking you have to be perfect to be accepted. I think it is important that people like Cerrie stay on TV so there is more acceptance, when these children see Cerrie doing things with one hand that they do with two, it can only be a positive thing. It could even encourage them to think outside of the box, past their own limitations.’

Knox, 24, was born without her left forearm, received much praise after the BBC series, and says that everybody she met ‘was hooked on the show’.

When asked what she would say to a parent who said her disability was ‘scaring’ their children, she said: ‘The issue lies deep inside them, not their children.’

‘Children just accept whatever they are around and are of pure mind so they would be more accepting, whereas adults have egos that get in the way, they have preconceived ideas of what is right and wrong, what looks good, what doesn’t.’

Knox claims that false images in the media are partly to blame for such issues as eating disorders because young people want to be like the celebrities they see in magazines.

She said: ‘This is the ‘real world, everybody is different and this is what makes the world go round.’

‘Equality is the key here, people need to realise that no matter what, we all wake up to the same sun every morning.’